Ankara                                                                                                                                                                                                  09 July 2018                                                                                                                                                                                        (Anadolu News)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan took his oath today on Monday as first president under its new governmental system in  capital Ankara, at the Grand National Assembly, chaired by Acting Parliament Speaker Durmus Yilmaz.

Later in his address at the Presidential Complex, he said that Turkey is making a fresh start after the country officially switched to a new presidential system of government.

Present on the occasion were ten thousand invitees including twenty-one presidents – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chad, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Germany, Georgia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mauritania, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Venezuela, Zambia and Emir of Qatar. Among guests were also included teachers, firefighters, village leaders, tradesmen, miners, dentists and leaders of religious communities.

EU heavyweight Germany was represented at the swearing-in ceremony by former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

Erdogan said “With a presidential system of government, we are moving to a new system of government which is far beyond our almost 150-year-quest for democracy and what we have experienced through the history of our 95-year-old republic.”

He added that Turkey is leaving behind a system which cost the country politically, socially, and economically.

“We will try to be worthy of our nation with the awareness that we are the president not only of those who voted for us, but all 81 million” citizens of Turkey, Erdogan said.

The president said the new system makes the marginalization, persecution, and alienation of people a thing of the past.

He added that in the new era Turkey would go further in every area, including democracy, fundamental rights, freedoms, the economy, and large investments.

Erdogan vowed they would work to grow and strengthen Turkey in line with the promises given to the public.

“We will strengthen Turkey in all areas, including the defense industry and border security,” he said.

The president also said the first Cabinet under the new system will convene on Friday.

He also announced that all celebrations during the inauguration ceremony would be cancelled due to Sunday’s train accident in Turkey’s northwestern province of Tekirdag which left at least 24 people killed.

Soldiers fired a 101-gun salute during Erdogan’s entrance to the presidential complex.

The guests were given a gift of 1 Turkish lira coins specially produced for the occasion. Some of these coins will also be placed on the market. Also, a special stamp was printed to mark the day.

Later, a Statutory Decree No. 703 was issued which abolished some laws on the organization and functions of some ministries and institutions including merging of some of the ministries as follows:

Under the decree, the Family and Social Policies Ministry and Labor and Social Security Ministry were merged under the new Labor, Social Services and Family Ministry.

The Finance Ministry was renamed the Treasury and Finance Ministry, while legislative regulations on the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry and Forest and Water Management Ministry were abolished.

It also renamed the Transport, Maritime and Communications Ministry the new Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry, and renamed the Science, Industry and Technology Ministry the new Industry and Technology Ministry.

The Customs and Trade Ministry was also renamed the Trade Ministry.

The decree also changed the title of the head of the nation’s intelligence agency from undersecretary to director.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) were also linked to the presidency from their previous affiliation, the Cabinet.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unveiled the new 16-minister Cabinet in the presidential complex in the capital Ankara, the first-ever Cabinet under the new presidential system made a reality on Monday.

Here are the members of the first Cabinet of Turkey’s new presidential system of government:

 Vice President:  Fuat Oktay                                                                                                                                                     Justice Minister: Abdulhamit Gul                                                                                                                                                    Labor, Social Services and Family Minister: Zehra Zumrut Selcuk                                                                                        Environment and Urbanization Minister: Murat Kurum                                                                                                           Foreign Minister: Mevlut Cavusoglu                                                                                                                                               Energy and Natural Resources Minister: Fatih Donmez                                                                                                            Youth and Sports Minister: Mehmet Kasapoglu                                                                                                                          Treasury and Finance Minister: Berat Albayrak                                                                                                                           Interior Minister: Suleyman Soylu                                                                                                                                                Culture and Tourism Minister: Mehmet Ersoy                                                                                                                            National Education Minister: Ziya Selcuk                                                                                                                                    National Defense Minister: Hulusi Akar                                                                                                                                        Health Minister: Fahrettin Koca                                                                                                                                                      Industry and Technology Minister: Mustafa Varank                                                                                                                  Agriculture and Forestry Minister: Bekir Pakdemirli                                                                                                                  Trade Minister: Ruhsar Pekcan                                                                                                                                                      Transport and Infrastructure Minister: Cahit Turan